October set weather records

Cold and wet describe October in Mobridge and the surrounding area as the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that October in this area was record setting in a number of categories.

As numerous storms moved across the region in several locations, including Mobridge and Timber Lake, the wettest October on record was recorded.

West River areas experienced the fall blizzard that brought from one to five feet of snow, along with some very strong winds gusting up to 70 mph. Damage was wide-spread as thousands of cattle died during the storm and countless trees were damaged. The storm also knocked out the power for thousands across the impacted area.

While the blowing snow was wreaking havoc just west of the Missouri River Valley Mobridge received an inch of snow, which melted as it hit the ground. In October, the Timber Lake area received 6.7 inches of snow according to the NWS.

Rainfall amounts for October across the central and north central part of the state ranged from 4 to 6 inches or from two to over four inches above normal. Many locations recorded one of their top ten wettest Octobers on record.

Mobridge and Timber Lake both had their wettest October on record with nearly six inches of precipitation. Pierre and Kennebec had their third wettest October on record.

Monthly average temperatures were from one to five degrees below normal across central and northeast South Dakota.

In Mobridge it was the third coldest October on record.

Although the temperatures were below normal for most of the month-October started with warm conditions across the region-with many highs in the 60’s and 70’s.

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